It's Sunday, which means a day of recovering from boozing on Saturday, a day of NFL football and, being that it's the last week of the MLB regular season, a day of tracking fantasy baseball for the last time until April. If I were able to insert those little face moods that you usually see on message boards, I'd post a :(.
That said, I can end the season on a :) note IF the Cokers maintain their 6-3-1 lead. I'm only up four RBIs heading into today, but a tie with wins, a narrow ERA lead and narrow WHIP defecit are the stats to track today. Slutty Tom can actually win if his four starting pitchers notch him just one win and lower his ERA below mine.
Sunday's potential win would be even sweeter since it would be a back-to-back title for me. And that means my fellow competitors in the RedZone will not hear the end of it, if it happens.
Looking forward to a comfortable Sunday on the couch, contributing nothing good to the world. :).
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Still surviving
And now we're in the stretch run. There's just three days left in the RedZone baseball season, and my lead looks strong if you were to just look at the overall score. 7-3 always looks great in head-to-head play.
Of course, one of my fears heading into this week has come to fruition: my relievers are crapping Colonel Coker's bed. A night after Luis Ayala gave up three earned runs in another Mets collapse, J.J. Putz served up a two-run homer to boost my ERA to 5.00 (.34 better than Slutty Tom) and my WHIP to 1.59 (.06 worse). The silver lining is that my boy Vladdy Guerrero hit that homer, helping me take over the RBI lead, 20-19.
Not only is my ERA lead slim, but I have one "point" leads in counting stats such as wins (3-2), saves (same) and RBIs (20-19). This baby can shift at any moment. That said, I have six closers rearing to go today and Slutty has two starters, Andy Sonnanstine and Scott Richmond. Two good outings could give Tom the tie or lead in wins while also lowering his ERA below mine. That would create a 5-5 or 5-4-1 score, offensive stat changes notwithstanding.
This shapes up to be quite a Friday night, spent inside my apartment (my last weekend there, actually) tracking the match and HOPEFULLY watching our two presidential candidates debate.
Of course, one of my fears heading into this week has come to fruition: my relievers are crapping Colonel Coker's bed. A night after Luis Ayala gave up three earned runs in another Mets collapse, J.J. Putz served up a two-run homer to boost my ERA to 5.00 (.34 better than Slutty Tom) and my WHIP to 1.59 (.06 worse). The silver lining is that my boy Vladdy Guerrero hit that homer, helping me take over the RBI lead, 20-19.
Not only is my ERA lead slim, but I have one "point" leads in counting stats such as wins (3-2), saves (same) and RBIs (20-19). This baby can shift at any moment. That said, I have six closers rearing to go today and Slutty has two starters, Andy Sonnanstine and Scott Richmond. Two good outings could give Tom the tie or lead in wins while also lowering his ERA below mine. That would create a 5-5 or 5-4-1 score, offensive stat changes notwithstanding.
This shapes up to be quite a Friday night, spent inside my apartment (my last weekend there, actually) tracking the match and HOPEFULLY watching our two presidential candidates debate.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
More Random Thoughts from Championship Week
Score through two days: I'm up 5-4-1. I'm ahead by one in four different counting stats (HR, SB, W, SV) with a .08 lead in WHIP. Slutty Tom is leads RBIs by 1, Ks by 5, OPS by .11 and ERA by a relatively healty .88 margin. We're tied in runs...
Living on the East Coast, there are plenty of late-night MLB games which I don't stay up for. I had to get to bed early last night, missing three or four West Coast games in the process. So it was somewhat of a surprise this morning when I awoke to find that J.J. Putz secured a save, putting me up by 1 in that cat. Troy Tulowitzki added on to what was a 2-for-2 night when I went to bed with a home run and RBIs to give me the lead in homers and put me one RBI short of Slutty. Waking up to notice these late-night stats the next morning is like finding $20 in the back pocket of a pair of pants you haven't worn in a week. I might go to bed at 10 tonight...
Slutty Tom is at it again. Wandy actually did well last night, striking out seven batters in five shutout innings (even though he had been assigned an earned run after the second inning). Evidently that performance gave Slutty the confidence to start the vaunted Edwin Jackson/Jonathan Sanchez duo tonight. They've actually been very productive pitchers this year, so I can't knock Slutty's hustle...
I start Clayton Kershaw and Adam Wainwright tonight. I'm going with my starters this week for unknown reasons, even to myself. I guess part of me wants to play the strikeout/win game with Slutty Tom this week. I was able to beat Kevin last week by relying solely on my relievers to rack up saves and keep down my ERA and WHIP. I just don't have the confidence in my relievers that they will be as stellar as last week, so I'm trying to be proactive in attaining strikeouts and, possibly, wins. It's a gamble that hopefully will pay off, but I'm banking on this matchup going down to the wire on Sunday.
Living on the East Coast, there are plenty of late-night MLB games which I don't stay up for. I had to get to bed early last night, missing three or four West Coast games in the process. So it was somewhat of a surprise this morning when I awoke to find that J.J. Putz secured a save, putting me up by 1 in that cat. Troy Tulowitzki added on to what was a 2-for-2 night when I went to bed with a home run and RBIs to give me the lead in homers and put me one RBI short of Slutty. Waking up to notice these late-night stats the next morning is like finding $20 in the back pocket of a pair of pants you haven't worn in a week. I might go to bed at 10 tonight...
Slutty Tom is at it again. Wandy actually did well last night, striking out seven batters in five shutout innings (even though he had been assigned an earned run after the second inning). Evidently that performance gave Slutty the confidence to start the vaunted Edwin Jackson/Jonathan Sanchez duo tonight. They've actually been very productive pitchers this year, so I can't knock Slutty's hustle...
I start Clayton Kershaw and Adam Wainwright tonight. I'm going with my starters this week for unknown reasons, even to myself. I guess part of me wants to play the strikeout/win game with Slutty Tom this week. I was able to beat Kevin last week by relying solely on my relievers to rack up saves and keep down my ERA and WHIP. I just don't have the confidence in my relievers that they will be as stellar as last week, so I'm trying to be proactive in attaining strikeouts and, possibly, wins. It's a gamble that hopefully will pay off, but I'm banking on this matchup going down to the wire on Sunday.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Tom gets Slutty
The dude I'm competing against this week is named Tom Patterson. We know him as Slutty Nuns, a team name that is supposed to be witty because it's an oxymoron. We all know who the real moron is, though.
Slutty Tom added Wandy Rodriguez today as a probable starter, and this is what you have to love about fantasy baseball championship week: Wandy Rodriguez is viewed as a welcomed addition. In Slutty's fairness, Wandy has been wonderful at home (Houston's Minute Maid Park) in his last two starts, posting a 14/1 K/BB ratio with just one earned run allowed in 12 2/3 innings. Those starts did come at the end of August, so will that success at home translate over to his start today, in late September? There's no telling what can happen when Wandy Rodriguez starts.
I'm currently up 5-3-2 after one day, with ERA and WHIP shaping up to be true battles. I'm ahead in ERA 4.66 to 5.14, but behind in WHIP 1.76 to Slutty's 1.43. And the rotation flux will continue as Slutty Tom and I decide which crappy starters we think might have a chance of helping us win the RedZone crown.
Slutty Tom added Wandy Rodriguez today as a probable starter, and this is what you have to love about fantasy baseball championship week: Wandy Rodriguez is viewed as a welcomed addition. In Slutty's fairness, Wandy has been wonderful at home (Houston's Minute Maid Park) in his last two starts, posting a 14/1 K/BB ratio with just one earned run allowed in 12 2/3 innings. Those starts did come at the end of August, so will that success at home translate over to his start today, in late September? There's no telling what can happen when Wandy Rodriguez starts.
I'm currently up 5-3-2 after one day, with ERA and WHIP shaping up to be true battles. I'm ahead in ERA 4.66 to 5.14, but behind in WHIP 1.76 to Slutty's 1.43. And the rotation flux will continue as Slutty Tom and I decide which crappy starters we think might have a chance of helping us win the RedZone crown.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Championship Week
I'm back in familiar territory. To the annoyance of the three people who read this blog (there IS a reason I haven't been actively marketing this blog), I am going to blog about all things Colonel Coker in what is the final week of The RedZone baseball league's season. It's title time.
I won the RedZone championship last year, but the final week blazed by. I honestly don't know how I won it, who won it for me or even whether I deserved to win it. All I know is that I beat BobcatNation All-Stars and Alfonso Soriano (thanks you-know-who!) hit 14 homers last September.
This year, I fear I may have peaked a week too early. After the Kyle Stack Comeback Classic against Tunez, I entered last week against the best overall team in our league, USSR Lightning. I didn't activate any starters, relying on my relievers to rack up saves while hoping they could keep a low ERA and WHIP. You could say I was also influenced by USSR's seven or eight starting pitchers. There was no point in trying to compete with him in strikeouts, and likely wins, so why fight it? I chose to play to one of the strengths of my team.
My offense supplied enough firepower with homers, RBIs and OPS to give me a chance to win, and I did.
Entering this week, I was immediately confronted with the option of playing Aaron Harang, who is making a great late-season comeback after crapping the bed for most of the year. He had a 1.97 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP in four September starts, including two straight scoreless outings. My confidence was palpable. But Harang's effectiveness on Monday was unacceptable. He allowed four earned runs in seven innings, giving the Cokers the high ERA and WHIP I didn't encounter last week.
I started Harang on the pretense that my bullpen wouldn't go through another zero-run week. Lo-and-behold, Luis Ayala gave up one earned run on three hits and a walk in a typical Mets bullpen inning. Great. I did sign Joey Devine to add an extra closer for the week -- and to take away a potential closer option from the Slutties, team I'm playing this week.
Anyway, I'm down 6-2-2 with most of the night complete. I won't give much credence to the first couple days since OPS, ERA and WHIP are still extremely volatile due to low sample sizes. And I don't know if I'm going to go with another starter; my bullpen may need to bring down my pitching averages.
I won the RedZone championship last year, but the final week blazed by. I honestly don't know how I won it, who won it for me or even whether I deserved to win it. All I know is that I beat BobcatNation All-Stars and Alfonso Soriano (thanks you-know-who!) hit 14 homers last September.
This year, I fear I may have peaked a week too early. After the Kyle Stack Comeback Classic against Tunez, I entered last week against the best overall team in our league, USSR Lightning. I didn't activate any starters, relying on my relievers to rack up saves while hoping they could keep a low ERA and WHIP. You could say I was also influenced by USSR's seven or eight starting pitchers. There was no point in trying to compete with him in strikeouts, and likely wins, so why fight it? I chose to play to one of the strengths of my team.
My offense supplied enough firepower with homers, RBIs and OPS to give me a chance to win, and I did.
Entering this week, I was immediately confronted with the option of playing Aaron Harang, who is making a great late-season comeback after crapping the bed for most of the year. He had a 1.97 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP in four September starts, including two straight scoreless outings. My confidence was palpable. But Harang's effectiveness on Monday was unacceptable. He allowed four earned runs in seven innings, giving the Cokers the high ERA and WHIP I didn't encounter last week.
I started Harang on the pretense that my bullpen wouldn't go through another zero-run week. Lo-and-behold, Luis Ayala gave up one earned run on three hits and a walk in a typical Mets bullpen inning. Great. I did sign Joey Devine to add an extra closer for the week -- and to take away a potential closer option from the Slutties, team I'm playing this week.
Anyway, I'm down 6-2-2 with most of the night complete. I won't give much credence to the first couple days since OPS, ERA and WHIP are still extremely volatile due to low sample sizes. And I don't know if I'm going to go with another starter; my bullpen may need to bring down my pitching averages.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Winning with power
I'm in the midst of a tough battle against the No. 1-ranked squad in my baseball league, and I'm just trying not to get struck by USSR Lightning.
My all-time classic comeback victory on Sunday left me with the reward of facing Lightning, a team which employs devastating home run hitters (Giambi, Dye, Thome, Uggla) with lights-out starting pitchers (Lincecum, Hamels, Lee).
The score is 6-4 in my favor, with WHIP, ERA, Saves, OPS, HRs and RBIs in my favor. He leads in Runs, SBs, Ws, and Ks. I didn't start Aaron Harang last night simply for the fact that my relievers have allowed only two hits in 7 1/3 innings of work this week. Since I employ only three starters and am not willing to sacrifice my relievers for any other scrub starters, it doesn't make sense to try to compete with Lightning in Ks and Ws. He has seven starters, including a couple who start twice this week, so I feel like I'd be a dog chasing its tail by trying to compete in those areas. I'll take the chance that my relievers won't blow up often enough to let Lightning gain an advantage in either pitching average.
I have the lead in three of five pitching categories, leaving my offense to take control of the scoreboard. I'm dependent on my team winning in at least two of HRs, RBIs and OPS, but likely all three considering Lightning has Runs won and holds a one steal advantage in SBs. My team is built around RBIs and OPS (Ryan Howard, Mark Teixeira, David Wright), so if I'm going to win, it's going to be my offense that carries me; hence, Sunday afternoon, when my guys belted eight homers and 12 RBIs. I'm willing to live-and-die with my power hitters.
My all-time classic comeback victory on Sunday left me with the reward of facing Lightning, a team which employs devastating home run hitters (Giambi, Dye, Thome, Uggla) with lights-out starting pitchers (Lincecum, Hamels, Lee).
The score is 6-4 in my favor, with WHIP, ERA, Saves, OPS, HRs and RBIs in my favor. He leads in Runs, SBs, Ws, and Ks. I didn't start Aaron Harang last night simply for the fact that my relievers have allowed only two hits in 7 1/3 innings of work this week. Since I employ only three starters and am not willing to sacrifice my relievers for any other scrub starters, it doesn't make sense to try to compete with Lightning in Ks and Ws. He has seven starters, including a couple who start twice this week, so I feel like I'd be a dog chasing its tail by trying to compete in those areas. I'll take the chance that my relievers won't blow up often enough to let Lightning gain an advantage in either pitching average.
I have the lead in three of five pitching categories, leaving my offense to take control of the scoreboard. I'm dependent on my team winning in at least two of HRs, RBIs and OPS, but likely all three considering Lightning has Runs won and holds a one steal advantage in SBs. My team is built around RBIs and OPS (Ryan Howard, Mark Teixeira, David Wright), so if I'm going to win, it's going to be my offense that carries me; hence, Sunday afternoon, when my guys belted eight homers and 12 RBIs. I'm willing to live-and-die with my power hitters.
What's eating Gilbert's knee?
Doesn't it feel like Gilbert Arenas's knee is going the way of Grant Hill's ankle? Gilbert had his third operation in 17 months on his left knee today, where doctors cleaned out "floating debris."
Arenas originally tore the lateral meniscus in his knee in April 2007 and it's been a rough ride ever since. He rehabbed too quickly the first time, forcing him to miss most of last season. And now he's expected to miss at least the first month of the impending season as he tries to fully rehab his main "pushoff" knee. Arenas is right-handed and he prefers to drive to his right with his dominant hand dribbling the ball. To do that, he has to gain leverage by being able to push off his left foot to get his first step. Obviously, a healthy left knee allows him to display his quickness, enabling him to beat his defender off the dribble.
Gil is known as a guy cut from a different cloth, so who knows what sorts of things he's done on his own time to speed the recovery of his knee. The guy is an insanely hard worker and he, more than anyone, is likely to be motivated by the people who doubt he can regain the athleticism and quickness he had pre-injury. He may actually thrive on it as he's made it his goal to prove the doubters wrong for his entire collegiate and professional careers. I just hope this isn't the case of an athlete fighting an eternal uphill battle, the way Grant Hill did when he lost the prime years of his career to a balky left ankle.
Arenas originally tore the lateral meniscus in his knee in April 2007 and it's been a rough ride ever since. He rehabbed too quickly the first time, forcing him to miss most of last season. And now he's expected to miss at least the first month of the impending season as he tries to fully rehab his main "pushoff" knee. Arenas is right-handed and he prefers to drive to his right with his dominant hand dribbling the ball. To do that, he has to gain leverage by being able to push off his left foot to get his first step. Obviously, a healthy left knee allows him to display his quickness, enabling him to beat his defender off the dribble.
Gil is known as a guy cut from a different cloth, so who knows what sorts of things he's done on his own time to speed the recovery of his knee. The guy is an insanely hard worker and he, more than anyone, is likely to be motivated by the people who doubt he can regain the athleticism and quickness he had pre-injury. He may actually thrive on it as he's made it his goal to prove the doubters wrong for his entire collegiate and professional careers. I just hope this isn't the case of an athlete fighting an eternal uphill battle, the way Grant Hill did when he lost the prime years of his career to a balky left ankle.
Watching the Mets fans run like the Japanese in a Godzilla flick
They're running to Connecticut! I love watching these Mets fans squirm here in New York City. Half the guys in the Bullpen at MLB.com are Mets fans. The doorman in the building of my full-time job is a Mets fan. Plenty of people I pass on the streets or share a subway car with are probably Mets fans. And almost all of them are sweating it out even as the weather in the city cools in mid-September. I love it.
After losing Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, it seems Mets fans were on hard enough times. But then last summer came and the Amazin' Chokers blew a seven-game lead with 17 games remaining to the hated division rival Phillies.
Now, they might drop another division title to the Phillies. They were up 3.5 games with 17 contests remaining, but now remain a game behind the Phils with only 12 games left (13 for the Phils).
And what sucks for Mets fans is that Johan Santana was supposed to be the missing ingredient they needed to put them over the top. Instead, Santana has been merely spectacular, not dominant. Billy Wagner is out for the season, leaving an already shaky bullpen without its most reliable arm. John Maine is done for the year, Pedro is unpredictable and even the offense has been a mess. Fernando Tatis is out for the season with a separated shoulder and that is actually a disappointment for the Mets. Did any Mets fan think, coming into the season, that losing Fernando Tatis would be disappointing? Probably not, since he wasn't on the team entering the season.
Carlos Delgado, for all his NL MVP talk, is hitting just .271 with a .330 on-base percentage since his five-hit game on Aug. 21. Sure, he has nine homers and 20 RBIs in the 22 games played since then, but eight of those homers and 16 of those RBIs have come in just four (four!) of those games. That means he has one home run and four RBIs in 18 of his other 22 games. And that's supposed to be MVP-worthy?
Mets fans play the part of younger brother in their regional "rivalry" with the Yankees. Yanks fans, the older brothers, are so self-assured that the only teams they worry about are those in the Yanks' division. Mets fans constantly measure their accomplishments and circumstances against the Yanks and their fans. And many Mets fans, although caring very much about the Phils and Brewers right now, are loving that the Yankees are all but officially eliminated from the playoff race. This was supposed to be their year to reclaim a part of the New York baseball spotlight. Instead, they might be on the outside looking in when the calender turns a page, to October.
For me, a Dodgers fans, I love nothing more than to watch New York fans squirm. They deserve it for being so boisterous when their teams win, although it is worth noting that many Mets fans this season treat every win with some sort of caution. It's probably because they've been so disappointed the last two seasons that they almost expect another letdown this time. And they just might get it.
After losing Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, it seems Mets fans were on hard enough times. But then last summer came and the Amazin' Chokers blew a seven-game lead with 17 games remaining to the hated division rival Phillies.
Now, they might drop another division title to the Phillies. They were up 3.5 games with 17 contests remaining, but now remain a game behind the Phils with only 12 games left (13 for the Phils).
And what sucks for Mets fans is that Johan Santana was supposed to be the missing ingredient they needed to put them over the top. Instead, Santana has been merely spectacular, not dominant. Billy Wagner is out for the season, leaving an already shaky bullpen without its most reliable arm. John Maine is done for the year, Pedro is unpredictable and even the offense has been a mess. Fernando Tatis is out for the season with a separated shoulder and that is actually a disappointment for the Mets. Did any Mets fan think, coming into the season, that losing Fernando Tatis would be disappointing? Probably not, since he wasn't on the team entering the season.
Carlos Delgado, for all his NL MVP talk, is hitting just .271 with a .330 on-base percentage since his five-hit game on Aug. 21. Sure, he has nine homers and 20 RBIs in the 22 games played since then, but eight of those homers and 16 of those RBIs have come in just four (four!) of those games. That means he has one home run and four RBIs in 18 of his other 22 games. And that's supposed to be MVP-worthy?
Mets fans play the part of younger brother in their regional "rivalry" with the Yankees. Yanks fans, the older brothers, are so self-assured that the only teams they worry about are those in the Yanks' division. Mets fans constantly measure their accomplishments and circumstances against the Yanks and their fans. And many Mets fans, although caring very much about the Phils and Brewers right now, are loving that the Yankees are all but officially eliminated from the playoff race. This was supposed to be their year to reclaim a part of the New York baseball spotlight. Instead, they might be on the outside looking in when the calender turns a page, to October.
For me, a Dodgers fans, I love nothing more than to watch New York fans squirm. They deserve it for being so boisterous when their teams win, although it is worth noting that many Mets fans this season treat every win with some sort of caution. It's probably because they've been so disappointed the last two seasons that they almost expect another letdown this time. And they just might get it.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Colonel Coker lives on
Victory always tastes sweet, but its taste hits a particularly higher level when you pull out a win you didn't expect. That's what happened in the first round of my main fantasy baseball league's playoffs last week.
I won't go through all the boring stats of my head-to-head matchup, but my team hit eight homers and drove in 12 runs on Sunday to take the lead in both categories and flip a 6-4 deficit into a 6-4 win. And Colonel Coker lives another week to defend its championship!
I was so certain on Saturday night that my season would be over by the next night that I began stockpiling prospects. Not that I would really keep any of them. I just wanted to keep them away from opponents, which could be an indication of what sort of ass I can be in fantasy leagues. I'm very bothersome.
Anyway, the Kyle Stack Sunday Comeback was amazing in that nearly every time I checked my score, I noticed another uptick in HR and RBI.
Part of my comeback surge was due to a pair of superstars whom I traded for since the beginning of the season. Ryan Howard, whom I obtained in May for a "crappy rookie first baseman and a bag of chips" (according to someone in my league) was 10-for-22 (.455) with four homers and 12 RBIs from Monday to the first game of his doubleheader on Sunday.
David Wright, who I acquired along with Joakim Soria for Alfonso Soriano and Edwin Encarnacion in a pre-draft trade, went 12-for-19 (.632) with four homers and nine RBIs in five games last week.
I clearly couldn't have won without either of their contributions. And now I have to hope (not pray) that they keep up their production as I head into another tough matchup this week.
I won't go through all the boring stats of my head-to-head matchup, but my team hit eight homers and drove in 12 runs on Sunday to take the lead in both categories and flip a 6-4 deficit into a 6-4 win. And Colonel Coker lives another week to defend its championship!
I was so certain on Saturday night that my season would be over by the next night that I began stockpiling prospects. Not that I would really keep any of them. I just wanted to keep them away from opponents, which could be an indication of what sort of ass I can be in fantasy leagues. I'm very bothersome.
Anyway, the Kyle Stack Sunday Comeback was amazing in that nearly every time I checked my score, I noticed another uptick in HR and RBI.
Part of my comeback surge was due to a pair of superstars whom I traded for since the beginning of the season. Ryan Howard, whom I obtained in May for a "crappy rookie first baseman and a bag of chips" (according to someone in my league) was 10-for-22 (.455) with four homers and 12 RBIs from Monday to the first game of his doubleheader on Sunday.
David Wright, who I acquired along with Joakim Soria for Alfonso Soriano and Edwin Encarnacion in a pre-draft trade, went 12-for-19 (.632) with four homers and nine RBIs in five games last week.
I clearly couldn't have won without either of their contributions. And now I have to hope (not pray) that they keep up their production as I head into another tough matchup this week.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
While sweating it out in my non-air conditioned living room...
How tough must it be for NFL kickers to concentrate warming up on the sidelines right next to cheerleaders...
How can any serious college football fans take Ohio State seriously? After losing to Southern Cal 35-3 on Saturday, the Buckeyes are becoming as well-known for their choking in big games as they are for producing elite NFL talent. Head coach Jim Tressel has brought a classy, workman-like attitude to the Buckeyes, but perhaps his discipline and strict maintenance of the team has produced a uneasy nervousness heading into big games.
So now there are reports Raiders owner Al Davis planned on firing head coach Lane Kiffin on Monday, regardless of Sunday's outcome (which was a 23-6 Raiders win over the Chiefs). And Kiffin was very outspoken in his comments, stating that one can never expect much job security with Davis at the controls of the franchise. It's hard to argue with Kiffin's sentiment, but shouldn't he have known better when he took the job in the first place? Davis was already known as the NFL version of Isiah Thomas, so perhaps Kiffin should take some blame for showing poor judgement in leaving Southern Cal, perhaps the cushiest job in all of football, for the wasteland that is now the once-proud Raiders franchise...
Not sure I've seen anybody mention this, but why doesn't Davis bring back John Madden?! He already tried bringing back Art Shell, with disastrous results. But imagine the PR help bring back Madden would create. He doesn't even have to coach; he can just stand on the sidelines with a clipboard and repeat "Boom!" on every running play. Or we can hear him talking to his offensive coordinator, saying something like, "You know, when you run, that means you can't pass the ball." The senior moments would be priceless...
How can any serious college football fans take Ohio State seriously? After losing to Southern Cal 35-3 on Saturday, the Buckeyes are becoming as well-known for their choking in big games as they are for producing elite NFL talent. Head coach Jim Tressel has brought a classy, workman-like attitude to the Buckeyes, but perhaps his discipline and strict maintenance of the team has produced a uneasy nervousness heading into big games.
So now there are reports Raiders owner Al Davis planned on firing head coach Lane Kiffin on Monday, regardless of Sunday's outcome (which was a 23-6 Raiders win over the Chiefs). And Kiffin was very outspoken in his comments, stating that one can never expect much job security with Davis at the controls of the franchise. It's hard to argue with Kiffin's sentiment, but shouldn't he have known better when he took the job in the first place? Davis was already known as the NFL version of Isiah Thomas, so perhaps Kiffin should take some blame for showing poor judgement in leaving Southern Cal, perhaps the cushiest job in all of football, for the wasteland that is now the once-proud Raiders franchise...
Not sure I've seen anybody mention this, but why doesn't Davis bring back John Madden?! He already tried bringing back Art Shell, with disastrous results. But imagine the PR help bring back Madden would create. He doesn't even have to coach; he can just stand on the sidelines with a clipboard and repeat "Boom!" on every running play. Or we can hear him talking to his offensive coordinator, saying something like, "You know, when you run, that means you can't pass the ball." The senior moments would be priceless...
Friday, September 12, 2008
Holy freaking crap
So I stayed in tonight for three reasons: 1) it's raining, 2) I already drank for a couple hours during Happy Hour, and 3) I'm going out tomorrow night and it's harrowing to try to drink three nights in a row (I drank last night). So I figured I'd stay in, enjoy some MLB.TV and track my fantasy baseball playoff match, until.....I found out I screwed myself over after getting screwed last night.
I was leading my match, 6-4, last night until Matt "F'ing" Cain took the hill and gave up five earned runs on six hits in the FIRST INNING!!!!....against the PADRES!!!!....at PETCO PARK!!!!!! Enough for the exclamation marks, but Cain's horrific outing pushed my ERA and WHIP sky-high, past my opponent (Tunez) and possibly too high to come back for victory.
I had planned on starting a few pitchers each of the next few days to try to bring my ERA and WHIP down, or at least to catch up in wins and strikeouts, but I made a major, major no-no tonight. I didn't check my starters who were on the bench to make sure they weren't starting tonight. And after rosters locked, I noticed Aaron Harang was toeing the rubber tonight. Major "doh!" He pitched seven innings, gave up zero earned runs on four hits, exactly the type of outing I needed to catch up to Tunez. But I'm an idiot, was drinking and working and didn't follow through. And that's why I'm going to lose in the first round and not defend my championship.
Between this and getting knocked out of the first round of my other ESPN baseball league because of some bullshit tiebreaker rule that rewards higher seeds, I might not sleep well all fall/winter/spring. Holy...freaking...crap.
I was leading my match, 6-4, last night until Matt "F'ing" Cain took the hill and gave up five earned runs on six hits in the FIRST INNING!!!!....against the PADRES!!!!....at PETCO PARK!!!!!! Enough for the exclamation marks, but Cain's horrific outing pushed my ERA and WHIP sky-high, past my opponent (Tunez) and possibly too high to come back for victory.
I had planned on starting a few pitchers each of the next few days to try to bring my ERA and WHIP down, or at least to catch up in wins and strikeouts, but I made a major, major no-no tonight. I didn't check my starters who were on the bench to make sure they weren't starting tonight. And after rosters locked, I noticed Aaron Harang was toeing the rubber tonight. Major "doh!" He pitched seven innings, gave up zero earned runs on four hits, exactly the type of outing I needed to catch up to Tunez. But I'm an idiot, was drinking and working and didn't follow through. And that's why I'm going to lose in the first round and not defend my championship.
Between this and getting knocked out of the first round of my other ESPN baseball league because of some bullshit tiebreaker rule that rewards higher seeds, I might not sleep well all fall/winter/spring. Holy...freaking...crap.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
While watching the first episode of the new season of Entourage for the second time
I'm a little perplexed that Kobe Bryant decided to not have surgery to fix the torn ligament in his right pinkie. He's had the injury since February, so he had to have known the time table for a recovery. He had said while he played through the injury during the regular season, playoffs and Olympics that he would get it fixed as soon as his off-season began. So, why the change in decision? The max time table is 12 weeks, but Kobe is a famously quick healer. He has an insane ability to compartmentalize pain better than any athlete I've seen, so it's likely the injury won't affect him the way it would another athlete (or at least he won't let anyone know it affects him)...
What is going on with Vince Young? He admitted during the off-season that he wanted to retire after his rookie year, which is a disturbing thought for a player of his stature that's even worse to admit publically. Now he apparently didn't want to return to the field on Sunday after throwing his second interception and then he allegedly wanders off Monday, with friends and family concerned for his safety. If you were one his teammates, would you have the confidence in him to lead your team? If you answered "hell no," then that'd make you like nearly every Tennessee Titan player right now...
One of the most quotable athletes is Stephon Marbury, partly because the guy is just crazy -- and he doesn't mind letting people know it. Here are a few gems from a recent interview:
"I drink life’s happy water which is bottled at the divine source."
"If I didn't play the way how I played, I wouldn't have gotten no max contract. ... Don't get mad at me, because I'm telling you what's real. One plus one is two, all day long, and it's never gonna change. And that's factorial."
And then there's this brilliant quote where Steph tries to figure out why the sports writer whom he's speaking with is an atheist.
"If your mind can transform thoughts to create rockets to go into space, who is to say if an Ark was built? Like, if you could build spaceships to go from off this ground, to go up into the sky, and go land on the moon — you're saying, these things can't happen? So everything gets challenged, you understand what I'm saying?"
What is going on with Vince Young? He admitted during the off-season that he wanted to retire after his rookie year, which is a disturbing thought for a player of his stature that's even worse to admit publically. Now he apparently didn't want to return to the field on Sunday after throwing his second interception and then he allegedly wanders off Monday, with friends and family concerned for his safety. If you were one his teammates, would you have the confidence in him to lead your team? If you answered "hell no," then that'd make you like nearly every Tennessee Titan player right now...
One of the most quotable athletes is Stephon Marbury, partly because the guy is just crazy -- and he doesn't mind letting people know it. Here are a few gems from a recent interview:
"I drink life’s happy water which is bottled at the divine source."
"If I didn't play the way how I played, I wouldn't have gotten no max contract. ... Don't get mad at me, because I'm telling you what's real. One plus one is two, all day long, and it's never gonna change. And that's factorial."
And then there's this brilliant quote where Steph tries to figure out why the sports writer whom he's speaking with is an atheist.
"If your mind can transform thoughts to create rockets to go into space, who is to say if an Ark was built? Like, if you could build spaceships to go from off this ground, to go up into the sky, and go land on the moon — you're saying, these things can't happen? So everything gets challenged, you understand what I'm saying?"
Monday, September 8, 2008
Weekend thoughts
Damn, this really is the best time of the year for sports. So much happened this weekend:
You know, I'm not excited about Tom Brady getting hurt. More than anything, I hate to see great athletes get injured in the prime of their career. I don't think of Brady as part of any Evil Empire or a recipient of bad karma or anything. I just hope he returns as soon as possible so that we can watch him play quarterback. And we all know how few effective NFL quarterbacks there are...
Carlos Delgado is NOT the National League Most Valuable Player. IS NOT. Since his two-homer, nine-RBI game on June 26 at Yankee Stadium, Delgado is hitting. 293 with 20 homers and 56 RBIs. Good numbers. But he's batting just .273 with a decent .349 OBP in his past 20 games. Sure, he has seven homers and 22 RBIs in that stretch, but six of those homers and 13 of those RBIs came in just three games. Aside from a five-hit, three-RBI performance also during the streak, Delgado has just four MVP-like games in his last 20 contests. Sorry, but an MVP has to be more consistent than that to get the award...
Sort of like Albert Pujols. Chew on these stats from his past 19 games, a time in which the Cardinals are only 9-10: Pujols has 10 multi-hit games, has hit safely in 17 contests and he has nine multi-RBI efforts, with eight home runs in the stretch, including four in his last eight games. THAT is an MVP, folks. How far under .500 would they be in that stretch without Albert's efforts?...
I don't like Reggie Bush, and not just because Kim Kardashian is one hot mama right now (no matter how awful she's destined to look in five-10 years). I don't like Bush because of the way he carries himself, an attitude evident in a comment he made on Sunday after juking a defender who had been talking trash to him earlier in the game. When asked about blowing past Tampa Bay Bucs defender Jermaine Phillips for a touchdown, Bush said, "The play before he was talking trash and the next play he was on my highlight tape." I mean, seriously, SHUT UP! Bush has 16 career touchdowns, including one return TD, in 29 games, so he hasn't exactly been lighting the NFL world on fire. He didn't even have a rush or a reception longer than 25 yards last season, kind of an odd statistic for someone who's supposed to be one of the NFL's biggest playmakers. I don't know what's in the food of the student cafeteria at Southern Cal, but their football program sure has put a lot of busts and muscleheads in the NFL the last few years, haven't they? Matt Leinart, Bush, Dwayne Jarrett, Mike Williams, LenDale White...
You know, I'm not excited about Tom Brady getting hurt. More than anything, I hate to see great athletes get injured in the prime of their career. I don't think of Brady as part of any Evil Empire or a recipient of bad karma or anything. I just hope he returns as soon as possible so that we can watch him play quarterback. And we all know how few effective NFL quarterbacks there are...
Carlos Delgado is NOT the National League Most Valuable Player. IS NOT. Since his two-homer, nine-RBI game on June 26 at Yankee Stadium, Delgado is hitting. 293 with 20 homers and 56 RBIs. Good numbers. But he's batting just .273 with a decent .349 OBP in his past 20 games. Sure, he has seven homers and 22 RBIs in that stretch, but six of those homers and 13 of those RBIs came in just three games. Aside from a five-hit, three-RBI performance also during the streak, Delgado has just four MVP-like games in his last 20 contests. Sorry, but an MVP has to be more consistent than that to get the award...
Sort of like Albert Pujols. Chew on these stats from his past 19 games, a time in which the Cardinals are only 9-10: Pujols has 10 multi-hit games, has hit safely in 17 contests and he has nine multi-RBI efforts, with eight home runs in the stretch, including four in his last eight games. THAT is an MVP, folks. How far under .500 would they be in that stretch without Albert's efforts?...
I don't like Reggie Bush, and not just because Kim Kardashian is one hot mama right now (no matter how awful she's destined to look in five-10 years). I don't like Bush because of the way he carries himself, an attitude evident in a comment he made on Sunday after juking a defender who had been talking trash to him earlier in the game. When asked about blowing past Tampa Bay Bucs defender Jermaine Phillips for a touchdown, Bush said, "The play before he was talking trash and the next play he was on my highlight tape." I mean, seriously, SHUT UP! Bush has 16 career touchdowns, including one return TD, in 29 games, so he hasn't exactly been lighting the NFL world on fire. He didn't even have a rush or a reception longer than 25 yards last season, kind of an odd statistic for someone who's supposed to be one of the NFL's biggest playmakers. I don't know what's in the food of the student cafeteria at Southern Cal, but their football program sure has put a lot of busts and muscleheads in the NFL the last few years, haven't they? Matt Leinart, Bush, Dwayne Jarrett, Mike Williams, LenDale White...
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Living in a fantasy world
Sometimes I'm not sure whether I like real life or fantasy life more. There are many things in real life that are under our control, but what about real life sports? There is absolutely nothing we can do to control how our favorite teams (Lakers, Dodgers, 49ers, Montana State, UCLA for me) go through their days. That's sort of why I want to be a sports journalist, print and radio, so that I can make my opinions public.
Anyway, the fantasy sports world gives us unlimited control over our teams. Want Peyton Manning for your football team? You can have him. And you know what? I have him.
I'm in four fantasy football leagues but I consider my "main" team to be in The RedZone baseball/football league I play in with a bunch of knuckleheads/friends. We have most of the same players in baseball and football, so rivalries are formed, bad jokes are exchanged and one-sided trades are made (I dominate in that last category). Anyway, we're in the second year of our keeper football league, with each team required to keep three players from last year's roster. Naturally, I have Peyton, Marion Barber III and Andre Johnson. I could have kept Michael Turner, but I didn't want to keep a player who was entering his first starting job in the NFL and on a bad team at that. After Turner rushed for 220 yards and two touchdowns today, I may or may not be trying to kick myself in the nuts.
Anyway, I had a very good QB/RB/WR trio heading into the draft. With one more RB, another WR, an additional RB/WR, a TE, a K and a DEF to fill out my starting lineup, the pressure was off to find that one start to fill one of the big three positions (QB, RB, WR). I already had a star at each.
With the second-to-last pick in the "first round" (really the fourth round since each team had kept three players, thus three rounds eliminated), I chose Darren McFadden, (hopefully) pissing off two Raiders fans in our league in the process...you know, I really don't want to give a round-by-round account of my draft.
How about I go position-by-position? Much better and easier to follow.
Quarterback
Peyton Manning and David Garrard
Manning is the mainstay, but with his recovery from a burst bursa sac (my favorite injury since Felix Pie twisted a testicle in April. No, seriously. Oh, wait, I did like that Carlos Guillen suffered from hemorrhoids earlier this summer. Or maybe it's the jock itch the Southern Cal football team experienced in August training camp. Ahhh, so many options!). Anyway, Manning should be fine, but I drafted Garrard just in case he isn't. Garrard is safe, like the family accountant you hire and only hear from if there is a problem (in which case, you're glad he/she is handling it). You always feel good about Manning (Peyton, that is) as your fantasy quarterback, but having Garrard as a backup option is just as reassuring.
Running Back
Marion (The Barbarian) Barber III, Darren McFadden,
Ricky Williams, Edge James, Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson could easily be the sleeper, and I thought that before he rushed for 93 yards today. Williams and James were just picks I made for the sake of consistency. Barber will start every week and should sniff the endzone nearly every game. McFadden could be a star, although I don't think he'll have the impact of Adrian Peterson. How often does a rookie have Peterson's type of impact anyway? Williams will get plenty of opportunities with the Dolphins, especially with Ronnie Brown still nursing his recovery from an ACL tear. James is James, reliable but not fantastic anymore.
Wide Receiver
Andre Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Brandon Marshall, James Hardy, Vincent Jackson
Johnson is a stud as long as he stays healthy. Boldin is in a ridiculous contract dispute, because he doesn't think $4 or $5 million per year is enough for the type of player he is. Perhaps he and McCain can grab a milkshake and talk about how much life sucks when you have less than $5 million (and I know McCain's comment on that was a joke, but I like provoking Republicans). Brandon Marshall could be the key to my season. I grabbed him in Round 7 when everyone had avoided him because of his two-game suspension. However, it was reduced by a game and theAn dude is possibly a Top 10 receiver this year. Thoughts of starting him with Johnson and Boldin, along with Barbarian, McFad and Peyton, make my mouth salivate the way it does when I see Adrianna Lima. As you can tell, I'm excited (not in that way). Hardy and Jackson are just throw-ins. They could each record six or seven touchdowns. But if they suck, I'll just slot in one of my running backs at the flex spot. I figure Marshall, Boldin and Johnson should be good enough, even if one of them gets hurt.
Tight End, Kicker, Defense
Nobody cares about these positions and this posting is too long anyway. This shall remain a mystery.
Anyway, the fantasy sports world gives us unlimited control over our teams. Want Peyton Manning for your football team? You can have him. And you know what? I have him.
I'm in four fantasy football leagues but I consider my "main" team to be in The RedZone baseball/football league I play in with a bunch of knuckleheads/friends. We have most of the same players in baseball and football, so rivalries are formed, bad jokes are exchanged and one-sided trades are made (I dominate in that last category). Anyway, we're in the second year of our keeper football league, with each team required to keep three players from last year's roster. Naturally, I have Peyton, Marion Barber III and Andre Johnson. I could have kept Michael Turner, but I didn't want to keep a player who was entering his first starting job in the NFL and on a bad team at that. After Turner rushed for 220 yards and two touchdowns today, I may or may not be trying to kick myself in the nuts.
Anyway, I had a very good QB/RB/WR trio heading into the draft. With one more RB, another WR, an additional RB/WR, a TE, a K and a DEF to fill out my starting lineup, the pressure was off to find that one start to fill one of the big three positions (QB, RB, WR). I already had a star at each.
With the second-to-last pick in the "first round" (really the fourth round since each team had kept three players, thus three rounds eliminated), I chose Darren McFadden, (hopefully) pissing off two Raiders fans in our league in the process...you know, I really don't want to give a round-by-round account of my draft.
How about I go position-by-position? Much better and easier to follow.
Quarterback
Peyton Manning and David Garrard
Manning is the mainstay, but with his recovery from a burst bursa sac (my favorite injury since Felix Pie twisted a testicle in April. No, seriously. Oh, wait, I did like that Carlos Guillen suffered from hemorrhoids earlier this summer. Or maybe it's the jock itch the Southern Cal football team experienced in August training camp. Ahhh, so many options!). Anyway, Manning should be fine, but I drafted Garrard just in case he isn't. Garrard is safe, like the family accountant you hire and only hear from if there is a problem (in which case, you're glad he/she is handling it). You always feel good about Manning (Peyton, that is) as your fantasy quarterback, but having Garrard as a backup option is just as reassuring.
Running Back
Marion (The Barbarian) Barber III, Darren McFadden,
Ricky Williams, Edge James, Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson could easily be the sleeper, and I thought that before he rushed for 93 yards today. Williams and James were just picks I made for the sake of consistency. Barber will start every week and should sniff the endzone nearly every game. McFadden could be a star, although I don't think he'll have the impact of Adrian Peterson. How often does a rookie have Peterson's type of impact anyway? Williams will get plenty of opportunities with the Dolphins, especially with Ronnie Brown still nursing his recovery from an ACL tear. James is James, reliable but not fantastic anymore.
Wide Receiver
Andre Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Brandon Marshall, James Hardy, Vincent Jackson
Johnson is a stud as long as he stays healthy. Boldin is in a ridiculous contract dispute, because he doesn't think $4 or $5 million per year is enough for the type of player he is. Perhaps he and McCain can grab a milkshake and talk about how much life sucks when you have less than $5 million (and I know McCain's comment on that was a joke, but I like provoking Republicans). Brandon Marshall could be the key to my season. I grabbed him in Round 7 when everyone had avoided him because of his two-game suspension. However, it was reduced by a game and theAn dude is possibly a Top 10 receiver this year. Thoughts of starting him with Johnson and Boldin, along with Barbarian, McFad and Peyton, make my mouth salivate the way it does when I see Adrianna Lima. As you can tell, I'm excited (not in that way). Hardy and Jackson are just throw-ins. They could each record six or seven touchdowns. But if they suck, I'll just slot in one of my running backs at the flex spot. I figure Marshall, Boldin and Johnson should be good enough, even if one of them gets hurt.
Tight End, Kicker, Defense
Nobody cares about these positions and this posting is too long anyway. This shall remain a mystery.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
I'm still alive
I haven't forgot about this blog...I just haven't really had a moment to myself this week.
A few quick thoughts: I'm already tired of the Chad Ocho Cinco crap. I probably won't watch any Bengals games this year as a result...
I'm pissed that Phils-Mets is rained out for Saturday, but Friday's game was great...
Speaking of great, how about Brandon Morrow nearly pitching a no-no against the Yanks on Friday night? What made it great was sitting in the same room with three or four die-hard Yankees fans...
The NFL starts tomorrow?? Holy crap, as if I didn't have a life before...
Novak Djokovic bagged a really hot Olympian. Good for him, that bastard...
My fantasy team will probably have to be reviewed after Week 1 or tomorrow morning. Whatever, I'm excited I drafted Brandon Marshall in the seventh round. Suckers, are my league mates...
Alright, back to work. Hopefully I'll revisit this thing in the late night or early morn.
A few quick thoughts: I'm already tired of the Chad Ocho Cinco crap. I probably won't watch any Bengals games this year as a result...
I'm pissed that Phils-Mets is rained out for Saturday, but Friday's game was great...
Speaking of great, how about Brandon Morrow nearly pitching a no-no against the Yanks on Friday night? What made it great was sitting in the same room with three or four die-hard Yankees fans...
The NFL starts tomorrow?? Holy crap, as if I didn't have a life before...
Novak Djokovic bagged a really hot Olympian. Good for him, that bastard...
My fantasy team will probably have to be reviewed after Week 1 or tomorrow morning. Whatever, I'm excited I drafted Brandon Marshall in the seventh round. Suckers, are my league mates...
Alright, back to work. Hopefully I'll revisit this thing in the late night or early morn.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Tired
Just tired. Trying to think of what I want to say about my main fantasy football team. I'll write about it today.
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